Steve Sywulka

Steve Sywulka is the Team Leader for the World Renew Southern Africa team.
Steve studied Agricultural Development at Texas A&M, receiving a Bachelors of Science degree. He has a certificate in Biblical Studies from Columbia Biblical Seminary and an International MBA from Moore School of Business (University of South Carolina). Steve is married to Beth and they have four young children

MALAWI - Several years ago there was a credit card commercial with the recurring theme of priceless. So what does that have to do with World Renew’s work in Malawi? Read on.
Farmers in Southern Africa frequently request help accessing fertilizer. Their soil is highly degraded and in need of regeneration. But as the population rapidly grows, less arable land is available to allow for proper fallow. Fertilizer is expensive and, if you borrow money to buy it and the rains are irregular, then it will have been wasted and the end result is greater poverty. What can be done?

The Southern Africa Ministry Team is growing in different ways.
Growing in number: We are so grateful to God for extra hands (and brains) to help us be more effective in impacting this region! Two new staff members have joined us:

With funding from Baker Health, on-the-ground support from the Anglican Diocese of Niassa in Mozambique, and a church reaching out to its community, beliefs and attitudes about nutrition are changing in the community of Chapitas. This slow and critical work is done person by person, with community members learning, applying, and then sharing nutritional advice that is making a real difference in the lives of children and families there. Here is the story of one of those changed minds changing the minds of others.

My colleague Faye and I were visiting the homes of people who had attended a World Renew-sponsored permaculture course earlier this year. It was a sunny day and I enjoyed seeing the hills in the distance as we drove to the village. “Great place to hike” said Faye, pointing at one of the hills. We started at one church and then made our way from house to house as each person proudly showed us what he or she had accomplished since the training event.

The crowd bursts into song as we arrive. With happy syncopated clapping and harmonizing, the group escorts us to the benches that have been prepared for our arrival. After the usual formal introductions, the dialogue about their health program begins. The problems are similar to those in other places: The health center is too far. There is not enough clean water. Nearly everyone has either lost a child due to illness, or knows someone who has. Malnutrition remains a problem. Malaria continues to kill people. About 12% of the population lives with HIV/AIDS.

“The loud sounds of fighting started just after the kids had gotten to school on Monday,” explained the woman in the refugee camp in western Africa. “Bullets were flying everywhere. So we all fled, each a separate way. We had to spend that night in the bush, fearing for our lives. On Tuesday some of us met up at the river. My husband drowned trying to get across. Now I’m left to care for my four children and my mother alone.” What an extraordinarily difficult transition!